Mobilities and Immobilities in Tuvalu: an unexpected pandemic experience?

ABSTRACT

Tuvalu was the last country to experience Covid-19, with no community transmission prior to November 2022, yet remains most well-known for its exposure to climate change. The pandemic presents an opportunity to challenge narratives of both displacement and disease risk, and advance understanding of mobility justice. During the pandemic, Tuvaluan’s internal migration to cultural lands revived a sense of community, strengthened cultural relations and provided an opportunity to reinvigorate customary forms of self-sufficiency.

KEYWORDS:

• Tuvalu
• climate change
• Covid-19
• mobilities
• fenua
• custom

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Australian Research Council: [Grant Number FT210100512].